Wednesday night in Paris, a special event gathered both watches and cigar fans at Bell & Ross’s headquarters near the Champs-Élysées.
The brand, known for its aviation inspired items, was launching the BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada, a 250 pieces limited edition – a third addition to the Bell & Ross collection inspired by the world of cigars, after the BR Vintage 126 XL (2006) and the WWI (2015).
The BR 05 takes on a color code of brown, pink and deep red. These tones evoke a maduro cigar wrapper, with its dark brown finish plus a red and gold ring.
Cherry on the cake, the watch is delivered in a humidor adorned with varnished ebony on the outside and cedar wood in the inside. Once the watch is removed, cigars are most welcomed.
“I’m just a humble cigar lover”, said Bell & Ross co-founder Carlos Rosillo to the participants. “To me it is obvious that cigars and watches share similarities, like the handcraft work and a spectacular visual dimension”. The watch, that comes in two versions, steel and gold bracelet (EUR 11.900 ) and rubber strap (EUR 7.900), was designed by the other co-founder, Bruno Belamich.
As a partner of the event, Pierre Jourdan, Les Fines Lame’s founder, designed a limited edition of his now famous cigar punch bracelet. True fan of the French-Swiss Maison, the entrepreneur told that the first collection watch he offered to himself was a Bell & Ross. “It’s amazing to see so many cigars enthusiasts here for such a night”, he said. “It’s been a while we couldn’t share our passion, in person. This event is a great opportunity to do so, crossing over two unique worlds.”
While downstairs the participants could attend a showroom and a bar dedicated to cigar pairings, upstairs was the place to smoke. The guests had the choice between a special Nicaraguan blend in robusto and torpedo vitolas and even some vintage Cuban cigars from Carlos Rosillo’s own private collection.
